The Daily Show: Mellow Gold

Economic instability is still a big concern, but the solution to your money woes may be easier than you think.

Economic instability is still a big concern, but the solution to your money woes may be easier than you think.

The price of gold was at an all-time high this month, "hovering around $1,000 an ounce," reported Fox News' Glenn Beck.

Supposedly, the price of gold goes up when people are panicked or concerned. I wonder what's fanning the flames of that panic and concern? Could it be Beck himself? Here are a few snippets from his recent Fox News appearances:

"America is burning down to the ground ... our very country is at stake," Beck has said. "Here are the three scenarios that we could be facing - recession, depression or collapse."

Now, Mr. Beck is certainly allowed to use his nightly forum on a respected news network to express all measure of fear, doubt, confusion, paranoia, etc., that he may be feeling. And those feelings may in turn fuel some kind of "gold rush," but it's not like the guy has a vested interest in this. It's not like he's a paid spokesman for gold.

He's actually just a paid spokesperson for Goldline - an internet site where you buy gold.

This is kind of a nice little feedback loop. Glenn Beck is paid by Goldline to drum up interest in gold, which increases in value during times of fear - an emotion reinforced nightly on Fox News by Glenn Beck. Alright, I'm almost sold. Fox is vouching for Beck and Beck is vouching for gold - close the deal!

"Call Goldline, study it out [and] pray on it," Beck suggests on his infomercial.